While assembled electronic circuitry has been dramatically reduced in size, the use of soldering as a method for forming both an electrical and fixable attachment of electronic components to a substrate has remained quite prevalent. However, such attachments require that the variety of components be held in desired positions prior to completing the aforementioned solder attachments.
A number of solutions for holding components in such desired positions have been developed and used with some success. For example, a tack agent can be used to temporarily secure such components to the substrate while solder bond or solder ball connections are made through the application of heat. After such connections are made, the tack agent can remain as a contaminant/residue or the assembly subjected to an extra processing step designed to remove such contamination. For some of the aforementioned solutions, a fluxing agent is provided separately from the tack agent, for example by applying such fluxing agent in a distinct application step, separate from the application of the tack agent. In other solutions the fluxing agent is provided in a combination with the tack agent, for example, where a solder paste is used as the tack agent and fluxing agent is either added thereto or pre-reacted therewith.
In still other solutions, (see, U.S. Pat. No. 5,177,134 or U.S. Published Application No. 2009/0294515) a tack agent and fluxing agent are admixed where upon soldering, the tack agent either volatilizes or decomposes. However it has been found that where the tack agent is either volatized or decomposed at or above solder reflow temperatures, as each of the above teaches, either solder reflow is limited, significant contamination/residue from the tack agent can remain or specialized process equipment (see, U.S. Pat. No. 7,981,178) is required. Therefore new solutions that eliminate the need for such equipment and reduce or eliminate the problems with achieving desirable solder reflow and/or the elimination or reduction of contamination/residue are needed.